Manager Ron Gardenhire went into the training room where Cabrera was taking treatment on his strained right hamstring — this was hours after Detroit's 10-6 loss — and the two talked.

“He was frustrated,” Gardenhire said. “He still is. I talked to him and I told him there was a possibility he could end up on the DL. He understood. He knows he’s not going to be ready in the next three or four days.”

Still, the official transaction was put on hold. Catcher Grayson Greiner was pulled out of the Toledo Mud Hens’ starting lineup about an hour before the game against Durham Thursday night. Flight arrangements were made to get him to Kansas City.

But Gardenhire wanted to give Cabrera the courtesy of waiting until Friday, just to be sure.

“I just wanted to reaffirm it before we did the transaction,” Gardenhire said. “I wanted to see him again and make sure. He gets it. We just hope it’s only 10 days. But there are no guarantees.”

Cabrera felt the hamstring grab on his way to first base after his sixth-inning single Thursday. When he jogged into second base, he felt the pain intensify. He didn’t even wait for trainer Doug Teter to get to him before he started off the field.

“You saw him walk off the field,” Gardenhire said. “He knew he got it. When he was running to second, he knew for a fact. That’s why he just walked off before I could even get out there. He knew.”

This is the third injury the 35-year-old Cabrera has dealt with this season — and he’s played 26 games. He slipped and fell hard rounding first base in Chicago and bruised his hip. Then last Sunday he came out of the game with a left biceps spasm.

Thursday was his first game back and, on one of the warmest nights of the season, he strained his hamstring.

“I don’t have the answers,” Gardenhire said. “All I know is, everything I was told this winter and talking to him — he went through a rigorous workout program all winter long, taking care of himself, and he came into spring training in really good shape.

“He wanted to be out there every day. He did all the drills. So for these little things to happen to him, yeah, it’s frustrating. He’s really frustrated.”

Cabrera, again getting treatment before the game, did not speak to reporters about the injury.

With Greiner being recalled, the plan is to use him as the backup catcher and give the majority of work at first base to John Hicks. Hicks started at first for the third time in four games Friday.

“He’s played pretty good and now he’s got an opportunity to play more,” Gardenhire said. “He’s got to fill a hole, and it’s a big hole when you are filling in for Miguel Cabrera. I don’t ask him to do anything like that.

“Just go out and be himself and play. That’s what he’s been doing and he’s been fine.”

Hicks has gone 4-for-8 in the last two games, including a walk-off bunt single on Wednesday. He’s hit two home runs this season.

This was the first big-league call-up for Greiner, 25, the Tigers’ third round draft pick out of South Carolina in 2014.

“They liked what he was doing down there (at Toledo),” Gardenhire said. “We talked about a few guys — Salty (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) is down there. But they all recommended Greiner. He’s playing the best. He handles the pitchers good, he can throw and was swinging OK.

“It’s good to get him up here.”

Greiner, who was not in the lineup Friday, was hitting .259, with .343 on-base and .414 slugging percentages at Toledo.